


full steam ahead

by UnknowableLegend



Series: Miraculous steampunk [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Angst, Adrien Agreste Being an Idiot, Adrien listins to Plagg, Adrien-centric, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Gen, Magic, Master Fu uses magic, POV Adrien Agreste, Plagg actually being thoughtful, Sneak-Peak, Steampunk, Steampunk AU, Unhelpful Plagg, never a good idea, really plagg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2018-12-13 00:01:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11747913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnknowableLegend/pseuds/UnknowableLegend
Summary: "Adrien had to, he just had to convince him to help him. It had been almost a year since his mom had gone missing and he knew that Fu knew something. He had to find out, he had to."steampunk au in which Plagg is a jerk





	1. In which a rug turns evil

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh! I posted something. I've had this AU in my head for ages and it still requires a lot of work, but I figured I'd post something. I've been working on it with my brother for a while and I'd thought I'd give a little sneak-peak, one-shot prequel of the real story.

Adrien had to, he just had to convince him to help him. It had been almost a year since his mom had gone missing and he knew that Fu knew _something_. He had to find out, he had to.

The street was quiet. He was on the edge of Chinatown so the signs were in both simplified chinese and French. The sidewalk he was on was several stories up and he was one floor below the last story of shops. He shot right and went across a skybridge connecting the skywalks. A zeppelin rolled by lazily above him, closer to the ground then it should have been. Adrien, thankfully, didn’t recognize it.

Passing a few shops he bolted up some bronze steps, glancing back to catch the Chinese graffiti. He chuckled to himself at the multi-language pun and splashed into some leaking steaming water. He yelped and jumped away shaking his foot, glad nothing got through his shoe. He hissed in annoyance, but he still felt sorry for whoever’s steam system that was. Water leaks were hard enough without dealing with superheated liquids.

He got to a four way cross in the street, and was just about to turn right to get to Fu’s massage shop. But something stopped him. He glanced behind him, and walked back the way he came looking around. He eyes traveled up to spot an open window. Somehow, instinctively, he knew it was Fu’s.

He should sneak in through the window.

Adrien shook his head violently, wondering where on earth a thought like that had come from. Not only was that highly invasive and against everything he believes in but it would do nothing to help him find answers. He turned back around to go to the door.

He paused again.

Looking up at the open window Adrien was in turmoil. He shouldn’t even be entertaining the idea, it was a bad one, a stupid one, and one he just didn’t understand. Yet something told him he needed to do it. That it was important that he did. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t even turn the corner.

Another ship passed farther up overhead before he began his climb.

He belittled himself the entire climb. As he got to the window he couldn’t go any farther. Going up this far was against everything he believed in, who he was as a person. Even when he wasn’t his father’s perfect poster boy he was still as kind and polite. Just looking into the study made his stomach turn.

Yet something still pulled him, called him. It was like it wasn’t even him but-.

Adrien caught sight of a small black cat sitting on the desk, sitting on the desk opposite. His brilliant green eyes staring at him. Adrien felt his fear disappear as he cocked his head at him curiously. The cat was small enough to be a kitten but looked far to mature, and his eyes… They looked normal at first glance, maybe a little startling, but didn’t cats have whites in their eyes. And the way it was looking at him, the way his tail flicked, like he was annoyed that it had taken Adrien so long.

The cat basically scoffed at him, then hopped off the table and pranced through the air and slide through the material of the closed door next to him. The door clicked and creaked open. Adrien hung there, his arms straining. He could either see what the cat wanted or leave and not come back.

Adrien pulled himself up and fell into the room with a soft thud. He went still, fear returning to him. When nothing happened he got back up shakingly and crossed the room. Dispute basically sneaking in, he felt secure in the knowledge that someone had invited him to sneak in. He had seen that cat in the shop below before Fu pushed him out. Magic or no he wanted him here, and Adrien was far too keen to figure out why.

He turned on the light in the backroom, discovering it to be where the water heaters were kept. At first he was confused, steam systems were usually kept on the first floor or basement to heat the house, until he realized that it was actually a laundry room. Looking around for the cat, which had apparently gone missing, he spotted a black box with red embroidery. It was open, and held five other boxes, and two empty slots.

Kneeling down he reached for one of the bigger boxes but quickly withdrew his hand thinking he heard something growling. He looked back at the boxes, confused, then looked around again. Nothing else screamed at him like the window or this box did so he reverted his attention back at the box or boxes. There seemed to be an air of annoyance billowing around the box, or was that impatience.

He looked them over again before reaching for one the smaller boxes. Hovering his hand over it and, feeling no resistance, picked it up. He turned it over, not seeing any marks or anything that could tell him what was in it. It reminded him of a jewelry box. Tentatively, he opened it.

Inside lay a black ring with a green paw print on it’s front. He gently took it out and looked it over. It seemed normal enough if not for the presence that it was radiating. It didn’t make him afraid and there didn’t seem to be any bad intent, but it did seem impatient and annoyed.

Adrien stood up and looked over the room for the cat again but didn’t find him. After a moment of contemplation he shrugged and slid the ring on. After all, just seeing how it fit then putting it back wouldn’t hurt anyone, right.

He shook his head, and tore it off. This was crazy. A piece of jewelry wanted him to wear it. And if not the jewelry than a cat did. He was listening to the thoughts and feelings of a cat and a ring. A ring that seemed to be vibrating with impatience, but a ring, nonetheless. The cat could go through walls, though. Maybe he should listen to what the cat wanted. No, he should ask Fu. It was his house and his cat and his ring. Fu would know what was going on.

The ring was vibrating now, seemingly hissing from it's place in Adrien’s hand. Adrien’s fear mounted, but he knew that he had gone to far to turn back now.

Taking a breath to steady his nerves, Adrien put the ring on.

He didn't move, his breath held and his eyes closed, then he was plunged into darkness . He landed hard before something rough and fuzzy wrapped itself around his hands and neck. He thrashed, trying to regain his bearings and breath from the feeling of swallowing rocks when he fell. Whatever held his down squeezed harder and his vision suddenly swarmed and blurred.

“Stop struggling. It will hurt less.” A voice said to his side.

Adrien immediately went limp. Tears leaking out of his stinging eyes.

“Who are you and-Adrien?” Fu! It was Master Fu talking to him now.

“How did you get there?”

Adrien spit out whatever was in his mouth. “I don’t know! Your cat told me to climb in through the window. Help, please.”

Fu muttered some language and the rug -it was a rug!- holding him down went limp and Adrien scurried up from his place on the floor. As his vision cleared he realized that he was on the first floor. He glanced up but the ceiling looked intact. He looked back at Fu. Master Fu had the strangest expression on his face that Adrien had ever seen. He looked livid, yet still calm.

“Would you care for some tea.” Fu said. It didn’t sound like a question.

Adrien swallowed and nodded than followed Fu into an open room.

Moonlight streamed through the paper blinds. The bamboo flooring did something to calm him down, and the soft music that Fu played soothed him even further.

“You were the last person I expected to find up there.” Fu turned around with two steaming cups of tea. “Please sit.”

Adrien sat.

“I keep some very important artifacts up there. Artifacts that many have helped me keep hidden. I expect you found them, considering where you were.”

“I didn’t mean, I never would have…”

“It’s almost impossible to get into that room without the right keys. Do you know what I mean?”

“N-no?”

“Good. A person could live in my study for months and not even realize that door was there. If someone were to go looking for it now it would still take a few days even if they knew it was in this establishment. Only someone who has trained for decades would be able to find the room, and then there is still the matter of actually finding the artifacts.”

Fu paused and took a sip of his tea. His brown eyes flickered down to the ring on Adrien’s finger.

“One of which is currently on your finger.”

Adrien went white and felt light-headed.

“Now, you mentioned that my cat told you to climb in through the window?”

“I- I think that’s what he s-said. Well, meant. Cat’s can’t talk. I never would’ve snuck in through the window. Never, ever, ever. I don’t know why I even did. I felt compelled to. And then your cat was sitting there, with these terrifying green eyes-”

“Well, that’s not very nice.”

Adrien jumped, his tea spilling off the table and unto the floor. His head whipped around violently to find the source of the new voice.

“Ignore him.” Master Fu told Adrien. “He is simply one for dramatics. Please, continue.”

Master Fu’s warm smile reassured him and Adrien felt himself calm down again, even if he still didn’t know who had spoken.

“Your cat was there, looking rather annoyed then flew through the door. I felt like he wanted me to follow so I did and the box was there and I felt like the cat had wanted me to find it and I felt like the ring had wanted me to wear it. So I did and then, well, you know the rest. Do you want the ring back?”

Adrien made to take off his ring but Fu stopped him with a hand.

“No, no. That will not be necessary.”

“But you said.”

“Thouse artifacts are not mine.”

“... What?”

“The artifacts are sentient. They own themselves. That ring has chosen you.” Fu took another sip. “I told you of the severity of the protections around them?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you think it strange that you just walked in and took one without any problems.”

“I- I guess so.”

“That was not because I forgot to turn them on. Someone was deliberately withholding them so you could come in.”

“Why?”

“You will have to ask the one who did it. But now it’s late. I have spilled tea to clean up, and appointments in the morning. We will talk tomorrow.”

“But-.”

“Goodnight, Adrien. Do not forget your cat.”

“I…” Adrien watched and Master Fu stood and left to get something to clean up his tea with. His welcome had been retracted. “Goodnight, Master Fu, and thank you.”

Adrien bowed slightly and left quickly, mind buzzing with questions.


	2. In which Adrien want's answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Plagg doesn't want to answer questions.
> 
> He also doesn't get any cheese.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I hit a slight snag while writing that took a while for me to work though. How it was worth the wait.

As he reached the door something landed in his hair. It snuggled in and then curled up on itself and Adrien realized it was the little black cat. Adrien tensed.

“Are you going to keep going or what, kid.” The black furball on his head spoke.

Adrien found himself angrier than ever.

He ripped the door open and slammed it, ripping the cat-thing off of his head in the process. It yowled.

“You!- you-”

It hissed loudly than scratched him. Adrien yelped then threw the thing off. It landed on the railing a little ways off.

“This is the thanks I get? I went over that fossil's head and gave you powers unimaginable just so you could sputter at me, hold me up by this luscious fur, and throw me around. See if I do anything else for you.”

“I don’t consider getting assaulted by a rug something worth gratitude.”

“Please, that was the nicest protection there. You’re lucky that was the only thing that got to you.”

“That’s-!”

“Do you really want to be talking to an all-powerful god-like creature in the middle of the street?”

Adrien paused, remembering Fu’s threats ( _ warnings _ ?), and becoming aware of just how many ships flew in Paris’s sky.

“Do I have to take you home?”

“Yes. It’s part of the gig. Just be glad that I’m not in your head.” The cat said as it pranced back and curled up on Adrien’s head.

Adrien sighed and opened his coat. “Here, it’s warmer and less conspicuous. My dad would kill me if I let an animal in the house so make sure to stay hidden until I let you out.”

“Yeah, yeah. Stay hidden. Whatever. Do you have any cheese?”

“What? Why would I have cheese?”

 

Once Adrien got home Plagg (He admitted his name on the way) began to zip around like a child in a candy shop. No, more like a child in a candy shop who’s never heard of candy and had only just tasted it now. It ended with Plagg settling into a Adrien’s discarded drawing stash from when his father had tried to teach him design.

Adrien set to work cleaning up the tornado zone that was once his room. He had just laid his head on the pillow when Natalie invited herself in and began giving Adrien his schedule.

Plagg refused to stay put and instead nestled into Adrien’s pack and dozed off. The day’s proceedings comprised of several fittings, his lessons with Chloe, his martial arts training, fencing, music, and playing whack-a-mole with the kitten in his charge. Adrien had already snuck around and grabbed some cheese for the little guy several times in which he had remained ungrateful, insisted it was the wrong kind, claimed he didn’t know what the right kind was called, and scarfed it down before Adrien could take it back.

All the activities were finally done and he was given his one hour of free time before dinner. So he closed the door and immediately grabbed for Plagg. A small struggle pursued where Plagg made it clear he wanted to mess up Adrien’s books again and Adrien kept tight hold of him. Adrien had learned during the day that Plagg could and would go through everything except for other living beings.

Adrien sat down on his sofa and glared at the gluttonous jerk in front of him. “Alright, why did you pick me? Why do I have to wear this ring? Why is it sliver now? You mentioned something about unimaginable powers? What did you mean by that?”

“Kid, kid, please. One question at a time.”

“Oh, okay.”

Adrien set him on the coffee table and collected his thoughts. “What was I chosen for? What’s the gig?”

“You were chosen to be my Chosen.” Plagg answered simply, bathing himself as he did so.

“What on earth does that mean? You didn’t even answer my question.”

“I’m not sure how to describe it in words exactly. This is the first time I’ve done something like this.”

“You mentioned unimaginable power?”

“Yes, I did.”

“You also mentioned needing to go over ‘that fossil’s’ head. What did you mean by that? Was he holding you against your will or something?”

“No, of course not. He was doing me a favor by keeping me away from prying eyes. If he didn’t anyone could’ve taken me and used me against my will. I went over his head because I decided it was time to have a Chosen again.”

“Again? You said this is the first time you’ve done something like this.”

The small cat sighed then pounced and landed in Adrien's hair. “This is the first time I’ve done something like this the, ah… safe way. Yeah, the safe way.”

“Why didn’t you chose someone the safe way before?”

“... Couldn’t. Don’t want to talk about it.” Plagg sounded so sad as he said that.

“Oh. Okay.” Adrien had to gather his thoughts again, since Plagg had started to groom  _ him _ . Adrien didn’t have the heart to tell him to stop. “What about the unimaginable powers? What can you tell me about that? You mentioned being a god. I’m sorry but I can’t see you as some kind of deity.”

“God- _ like _ , kid. A very powerful god- _ like _ being who grants it’s Chosen all-powerful abilities.”

Adrien waited for Plagg to elaborate and when it was clear he wasn’t Adrien spoke up. “Like what?”

Plagg sighed again. “Like the power to destroy everything you touch. Don’t worry about it too much. I’ll tell you when you’re ready.”

“Well, I’m ready now. I’m listening. How do I activate it?”

“Well, er, you say Cataclysm, but-”

“Cataclysm!”

… 

“Nothing happened.” Adrien whined as he touched 

“It won’t work right now. You-”

“How do I get it to work then?”

“You say ‘Claws out’ to bond, but-”

“Claws Out!”

“Wait! No No No!”

But it was too late. Plagg was sucked into the ring and the transformation started. The rush of energy elated Adrien. He felt like he could do anything. His senses began to be bombarded with input, he could smell the coffee stain and cleaning supplies used to clean it up from yesterday. A faint whiff of cooking fish floated from downstairs. A coat of black fixed itself it his body, his previous cloths melting away. His nails grew longer. An odd balance caused him to realize he had a tail. The whole experience was borderline overpowering and threaten to overwhelm him.

Until he was flooded with a powerful feeling, as if he could jump tall buildings in a single bound or land without hurting himself from a low flying ship. He had to test out his new powers, this new body. So as the sun set he jumped out his window to the ground below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah. That's the end of these short. There will be more, eventually, just not in this story. If you want more it will show up in the series this is in.
> 
> There's a scripture somewhere in the New Testament that says something along the lines of 'ask and it shall be answered unto you'. I think that fits well with Kawmii's in this AU, even if the Kawmii doesn't want to answer. I think at some point Plagg will convince Adrien that he can lie to him and then Adrien eventually does give Plagg permission to lie to him accidentally so things like this don't happen... As much.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a one-shot but then it got long so now it's a two parter. I've been world-building with my brother and trying to work out the plot for a while and I'd figure I'd write post something
> 
> This is a Steampunk AU. I've changed a lot of things, and had to make up a couple things as well. So if something seems a little off, that's why. There's a lot of things that are plot-relevant in here. You can ask questions in the below section. If I don't answer it's plot-relevant.


End file.
